/Climate Change Centre Reading (CCCRdg), who participated in COP 22, which closed on Saturday, 19 November, The meeting rode on the momentum from Paris the uncertainty created by the US election outcome, During the closing plenary, developing countries, expressed concern that this momentum was for post-2020 action, which requires industrialised nations to take the lead.

Produced by Asheline Appleton. Filmed/edited by Herman Njoroge Chege

Below a “glocal” achievment list for local Reading Borough Council and Reading 2050 to commit to of Climate Action Tracker’s ten short-term target, in the footsteps of the Marrakech Vision – http://www.thecvf.org/marrakech-vision

1) Electricity: sustain the growth rate of renewables and other zero and low carbon power until 2025 to reach 100% by 2050

2) Coal: no new coal plants, reduce emissions from coal by at least 30% by 2025

3) Road transport: last fossil fuel car sold before 2035

4) Aviation and shipping: develop and get agreement on a 1.5°C compatible vision

5) New buildings: all new buildings fossil-free and near zero energy by 2020

6) Building renovation: increase rates from <1% in 2015 to 5% by 2020

7) Industry: all new installations in emissions-intensive sectors are low-carbon after 2020; maximise material efficiency

8) Reduce emissions from forestry and other land use to 95% below 2010 levels by 2030, stop net deforestation by the 2020s

9) Commercial agriculture: keep emissions at or below current levels, establish and disseminate regional best practice, ramp up research

10) CO2 removal: begin research and planning for negative emissions

Plus

CITY SOLUTIONS FOR AN URBANIZING WORLDCities100 proves that innovative and progressive climate action is well underway in cities around the world. Here are 100 solutions from 61 cities which show how local governments around the world are taking the necessary steps to mitigate and adapt to climate change, while at the same time creating valuable co-benefits for their economies, communities and citizens’ health. Click below

The highly developed industrialized nations’ responsibility to combat climate change is obvious and cannot be overestimated. Similar to the issue of sustainable consumption and production patterns, the rich countries need to become leading examples if the goal of combating climate change and its consequences is not to remain mere lip service. Effectively reducing CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions is imperative in this regard. The data displayed in figures 13.1 and 13.2 show how far many OECD countries are still lagging behind compared to the respective benchmark countries of the sample.

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Figure 13.1 provides information on production-based CO2 emissions per capita. “Production-based” means that emissions refer to gross direct CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion, emitted within the national territory excluding bunkers, sinks, and indirect effects. In the fi ve leading countries, Mexico, Turkey, Sweden, Portugal, and Hungary, as well as in sixth-ranked Chile, production based CO2 emissions are below 5 tons per capita. These countries’ performances stand in stark contrast to the respective emission levels of countries placed at the bottom of the list, such as Canada, the United States, Australia, and Luxembourg. Here, CO2 emissions range from 15.3 (Canada) to 19.47 tons per capita (Luxembourg).

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The second snapshot indicator links emission levels to the size of a country’s economy, and refers to total greenhouse gas emissions per GDP. Greenhouse gas emissions include land use, land-use change, and forestry, and are measured in CO2 equivalents as a percentage of GDP (tons per million constant 2005 int. USD PPP). The findings are remarkable: While Sweden is by far the top-performing country with an amount of 66.75 tons, Estonia comes in last place with 680 tons – more than ten times as much as in the case of the leading country. Moreover, Sweden is the only country ranked among the top five on both indicators chosen here.

With regard to greenhouse gas emissions per GDP, Norway, Switzerland, Finland, and France follow in places two to five. In fifth-ranked France, however, emissions are already nearly four times as high as in Sweden. At the negative end of the spectrum, Canada and Australia again find themselves in the bottom group. Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions per GDP amount to 641 tons, which means that the country ranks second to last on both indicators of goal 13.

Over the past few years, with the explosion of startups, thousands of entrepreneurs turned their garages in offices to bring their billion dollar ideas to life. The vortex of entrepreneurship was to find an investor and get funded. To be funded was like winning the World Cup, or the Super Bowl.

But what happens after you get funded?

You get back to being an employee. You may have brought in people not sharing your dream, not in agreement with your purpose and soon it’s all about the money. The financial end becomes the main driver of your business.

People are suffering with it. Excellent startups began to tumble because the money seeking model is endless.

A new way to endeavour is needed. Good people are doing it already.

Many people have figured out that it doesn’t make any sense to go on by yourself. Many people have awakened from the “each man for himself” mad mentality.

Stop, take a step back and think. Isn’t it absurd that we, 7 billion of us living in the same planet, have grown further apart from each other? What sense does it make to turn your back on the thousands, maybe millions, of people living around you in the same city Fortunately, things are changing. Sharing, collaborative economy concepts are being implemented, and it points towards a new direction. The direction of collaborating, of sharing, of helping in togethernessship.

This is beautiful to watch. It touches me/
There is something extraordinary happening